Rooftop solar energy systems are a common mode for installing solar panels on a building. Solar panels may be retrofitted on top of existing roofs, or may be incorporated into a roof during new construction. For retrofit installations on top of an existing roof, each installation must be built as a custom design for each home and be engineered to satisfy local authority inspectors, both of which make retrofits a costly process. Retrofits can compromise the integrity of a roof, be visually unappealing, and incur high labor and material costs. The structural design of the supporting roof trusses may require modification or rebuilding in order to make them compatible with the solar panels being installed.
Solar energy systems may also be incorporated into a roof during construction of the building instead of being retrofitted. For instance, various designs for photovoltaic panels, fluid heat exchangers, and heated air systems to be installed on top of a roof or built into the underlying roof structure have been seen in the art. However, such custom approaches require specialized structures that must be incorporated into the design of the building itself. Solar roof tiles and shingles for use as a roofing material are another approach for installing solar components into new roofs. Solar roof tiles and shingles provide a more visually appealing surface, but can also require retrofitting of the roof structure and be costly.
Thus, there remains a need for solar rooftop systems which reduce cost, improve standardization, and are easy to install while maintaining reliability and maintainability.